Candle Warmer

Candle Warmer
Annual Relay For Life set for Friday
More than 1,200 people are expected for the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay For Life starting Friday evening. The all-night event takes place on the Legion Field track adjacent to the Leisure Centre.[...]

Soy Candle Making Supplies Tips And Secrets

The diminutive little soy bean is a prodigious provider of good things for mankind.  They supply such things as: oil, meal, flour, infant formula, meat, dairy substitutes, cattle feed and other products.  One of those other products is a soy wax that is ideal for use in making candles.  It is a partially-hydrogenated form of soybean oil and is less rigid than other candle making waxes.  This makes it a very good wax for container candles but it requires modification for use in other type candles such as pillar or votive.

Soy wax can be stiffened by mixing it with other waxes such as palm wax, beeswax or paraffin.  Other additions to soy wax comprise: stearic acid, ultraviolet absorbers, vybar, luster crystals, petrolatum. mineral oil and bht crystals.   Unfortunately there are no enforced labeling standards so it is difficult to know exactly what you are getting when candles labelled as soy are purchased in stores.

This situation builds the case for making your own soy candles in addition to the fact that soy wax is a natural product that is widely produced domestically.  It is also a very clean burning naturally aromatic wax. Making your own soy candles is a fun, easy and rewarding hobby craft.  The equipment and supplies required for making soy candles are very similar to that of paraffin candles, the most common candle in use today.

The primary piece of equipment needed to make soy candles is a wax heater that incorporates the feature of indirect heat utilizing a double burner.  There are commercially available devices that are adequate for the task but it can also be accomplished with the use of two pots of varying size.  The larger one is used to heat water and the smaller pot with the wax is placed in the heated water so the it will be melted with indirect heat.  Direct heat will spoil the wax and cause the finished product candle to be unacceptable.  Other equipment includes a good quality thermometer, a metal stirrer and molds.

Supplies needed include wax, wicks, colors and scents.  The type wax used will depend on the type candle being made.  Pure soy wax is excellent for container candles.  Since it is soft it will easily pour into the container and it will adhere to the sides of the container better because it is softer.  This characteristic also enables soy wax to absorb colors better.

If you are making pillar or votive candles different soy waxes are required.   Pillar candles are the tall and slender ones that go in candle holders.  They must be stiff enough to remain standing straight while burning and when in the path of direct sunlight.  When buying wax it should be specified what type candle is to be made to insure that the properly modified wax is obtained.

The same is true with votive candles that are thicker than the pillar type.  These are generally used in religious ceremonies and are burned on a plate, tray or other supporting surface.  They don't have to be as rigid as pillars but the softer pure soy wax would not work.  Both the pillar and votive candle are formed in molds and must be demolded.  Pure soy wax would stick to the mold and prove to be difficult to work with in the demolding process.  So be sure to specify the correct wax for the type candle being made.

Wicks are another important item needed in making soy candles.  Here too it is important to match the right wick with the right candle.  They will vary in size and preparation.  It may take a little experimentation to get the right wick.  Ideally you are looking for a burn pool with a depth of one quarter to one half inch.  Another option is no wick.  A wickless soy candle heated on an electric candle warmer will produce the same delightful fragrance as one with a lit wick.

About the Author

Peggy Devereaux is an expert candle maker.  For more great information about soy candle making supplies, visit http://www.candlemakeranswers.com

Candle Warmer

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